Former Power Plant Worker Awarded $300K in ‘First’ Asbestos Trial for Valve Manufacturer, Electric Company

A former power plant worker has won his case against a major valve manufacturer and electric company who claim this is the first time they have gone to trial in an asbestos lawsuit. The 73-year-old worker suffers from mesothelioma, which he claimed developed after inhaling asbestos fibers while working at various nuclear power plants and inspecting valves made with asbestos-containing gaskets.

During the trial, it was revealed that plaintiff had been working with asbestos containing products since 1979, which was long after the risks of asbestos exposure had been established. The lawsuit, which originally included dozens of companies, claimed that the valve manufacturer and electric company did nothing to mitigate asbestos exposure. According to Courtroom View Network (CVN), the plaintiff’s attorney said, “both companies entirely failed to concern themselves with the health or safety of the asbestos valves and replacement parts products that they have incorporated into their products and sold for nearly 100 years without warning to workers like the plaintiff who would be exposed to this deadly carcinogen.”

After a two-week trial, a South Carolina state court jury delivered a verdict awarding the former worker and his wife $300,000, rejecting the defendants claims seeking to blame the plaintiff and his coworkers for the asbestos exposure, “when those workers followed the defendants' manufacturer's maintenance instructions to the smallest detail,” said the attorney.

The verdict, which included $200,000 for the former worker and $100,000 for his wife, is “quite significant as both of these companies claim to have never been held accountable for their asbestos products - valves and replacement parts - for the asbestos injuries and deaths those products have surely caused.”

Though the plaintiff’s attorney asked the jury to award the couple $1 million, she was still “very satisfied” with the verdict, stating that the trial “could provide a “roadmap” for other potential asbestos-related claims against the two companies,” and many others.

If you have been exposed to asbestos, see your doctor right away. He can refer you to a mesothelioma specialist who can develop a monitoring plan that could help detect the disease at an early stage. Studies show that early diagnosis increases treatment options, which could greatly improve a patient’s chances of long-term survival.